We’re Obsessed With the Makeup Look

For something as fun as makeup, it tends to be at the center of a lot of controversy. Women who choose to wear it are sometimes accused of “lying,” while others are viewed as lacking confidence. It’s a sad reality, but these kinds of accusations often shame ladies from layering on the foundation and mascara that might make them feel a bit better about themselves in the morning (or that they just straight-up love). Beauty vlogger NikkieTutorials is here to set the haters straight, BuzzFeed reports.

“I’ve been noticing a lot lately that girls have been almost ashamed to say they love makeup,” Nikkie states in the beginning of the video above. “Because, nowadays, when you say you love makeup, you either do it because you want to look good for boys, you do it because you’re insecure, or you do it because you don’t love yourself. I feel like, in a way, lately, it’s almost a crime to love doing your makeup.”

Inspired by an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race, she applies makeup to only half of her face. As she dolls herself up, she walks us through each product and exactly why she’s using it — like picking up a brow pencil because she loves brows, but “doesn’t have them naturally” or brushing on some eyeshadow because she wants to make her eyes look bigger and more awake. The way she openly talks about her insecurities is both comforting and relatable. Toward the end of the video, she makes sure to express that makeup isn’t something you should hide behind: It should serve as a means to help you feel like your best self.